Mating features between drivers and underside of a cartridge deck

Abstract

A surgical device having at least one rotary input screw in the end effector is provided. A rotary input screw can extend through a central longitudinal portion of the end effector. The end effector can include an improved closure system, firing systems, leveraging and alignment features between the staple cartridge and the surgical device, staple cartridges having multi-staple drivers, single-firing knifes and lockout/safety features for the same, and/or modified staple patterns, for example. Certain components can be 3D-printed components.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fastener cartridge, comprising:
 a body comprising a tissue-supporting deck, wherein fastener cavities are defined through the tissue-supporting deck in the body, wherein the fastener cavities comprise a first cavity, and wherein the tissue-supporting deck comprises:
 a tissue-facing side; and 
 an underside opposite the tissue-facing side, wherein the underside comprises an underside surface contour adjacent to the first cavity; 
 
 fasteners removably positioned in the fastener cavities; and 
 drivers movably supporting the fasteners and configured to move through a portion of the fastener cavities to fired positions to eject the fasteners from the fastener cavities, wherein the drivers comprise a first driver, comprising:
 a support column comprising a fastener cradle; and 
 a base extending laterally from the support column, wherein the base comprises a top surface contour configured to mate with the underside surface contour when the first driver is in the fired position. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The fastener cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the underside surface contour comprises a recess, and wherein the top surface contour comprises a protrusion configured to nest in the recess when the first driver is in the fired position. 
     
     
       3. The fastener cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the fastener cavities comprise openings in the tissue-facing side, and wherein the tissue-facing side comprises ridges extending around at least a portion of the openings. 
     
     
       4. The fastener cartridge of  claim 3 , wherein the ridges comprise a first ridge comprising a laterally-varying height. 
     
     
       5. The fastener cartridge of  claim 3 , wherein the ridges span at least two openings across adjacent rows of fastener cavities. 
     
     
       6. The fastener cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the support column comprises a first support column, wherein the first driver further comprises a second support column laterally-offset from the first support column, wherein the base forms a bridge between the first support column and the second support column, and wherein a top portion of the bridge comprises the top surface contour. 
     
     
       7. The fastener cartridge of  claim 6 , further comprising a sled comprising a sled rail configured to moving along a firing path during a firing stroke to drivingly engage the first driver, wherein the top portion of the bridge is asymmetric relative to the firing path. 
     
     
       8. The fastener cartridge of  claim 7 , wherein the first driver is overdriven by the sled to the fired position in which the fastener cradle extends beyond the tissue-supporting deck out of the fastener cartridge. 
     
     
       9. The fastener cartridge of  claim 6 , wherein the bridge comprises a first bridge, wherein the fastener cavities further comprise a second cavity, wherein the underside further comprises a second underside surface contour adjacent to the first cavity, and wherein the first driver further comprises:
 a third support column laterally-offset from the first support column and the second support column; and 
 a second bridge between the second support column and the third support column, wherein a top surface of the second bridge comprises a second top surface contour configured to mate with the second underside surface contour when the first driver is in the fired position. 
 
     
     
       10. The fastener cartridge of  claim 9 , further comprising a sled, comprising:
 a first sled rail configured to moving along a first firing path during a firing stroke to drivingly engage the first bridge; and 
 a second sled rail configured to move along a second firing path during the firing stroke to drivingly engage the second bridge, wherein the top portion of the bridge is asymmetric relative to the firing path. 
 
     
     
       11. A fastener cartridge, comprising:
 a body comprising a tissue-supporting deck, wherein fastener cavities are defined through the tissue-supporting deck in the body, and wherein the tissue-supporting deck comprises:
 a tissue-facing side comprising a bumpy surface; and 
 an underside opposite the tissue-facing side, wherein the underside comprises a rutted surface; 
 
 fasteners removably positioned in the fastener cavities; and 
 drivers movably supporting the fasteners and configured to move through a portion of the fastener cavities to fired positions to eject the fasteners from the fastener cavities, wherein each driver comprises a base housed in the fastener cartridge and comprising surface contours configured to mate with the rutted surface on the underside of the tissue-supporting deck when each driver is in its fired position. 
 
     
     
       12. The fastener cartridge of  claim 11 , wherein the rutted surface comprises a plurality of recesses, and wherein the surface contours are configured to nest in the recesses when the drivers are in the fired positions. 
     
     
       13. The fastener cartridge of  claim 11 , wherein the fastener cavities comprise openings in the tissue-facing side, and wherein the tissue-facing side comprises ridges extending around at least a portion of the openings. 
     
     
       14. The fastener cartridge of  claim 11 , wherein the ridges span at least two openings across laterally-spaced rows of fastener cavities. 
     
     
       15. The fastener cartridge of  claim 11 , wherein each driver comprises:
 a first support column; 
 a second support column laterally-offset from the first support column; and 
 a bridge extending between the first support column and the second support column, wherein a top portion of the bridge comprises the surface contours configured to mate with the rutted surface on the underside of the tissue-supporting deck. 
 
     
     
       16. The fastener cartridge of  claim 15 , further comprising a sled comprising a sled rail configured to move along a firing path during a firing stroke to drivingly engage at least one driver, wherein the top portion of each bridge along the firing path is asymmetric relative to the firing path. 
     
     
       17. The fastener cartridge of  claim 16 , wherein the drivers are overdriven by the sled to the fired positions in which a portion of the driver extends beyond the tissue-supporting deck. 
     
     
       18. A fastener cartridge, comprising:
 a body comprising a tissue-supporting deck, wherein fastener cavities are defined through the tissue-supporting deck in the body, and wherein the tissue-supporting deck comprises:
 a tissue-facing side comprising an arrangement of protrusions; and 
 a contoured underside opposite the tissue-facing side; 
 
 fasteners removably positioned in the fastener cavities; and 
 drivers movably supporting the fasteners and configured to move through a portion of the fastener cavities to fired positions to eject the fasteners from the fastener cavities, wherein each driver comprises:
 a first support column comprising a first fastener cradle defining a first longitudinal axis; 
 a second support column comprising a second fastener cradle defining a second longitudinal axis; and 
 a bridge connecting the first support column and the second support column within the body, wherein at least one bridge comprises a tissue-facing surface comprising a diagonal surface traversing and asymmetric relative to a longitudinal centerline equidistant between the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The fastener cartridge of  claim 18 , wherein at least one diagonal surface comprises a laterally-sloped top surface configured to complement a portion of the contoured underside. 
     
     
       20. The fastener cartridge of  claim 18 , wherein at least one diagonal surface comprises a contoured top surface configured to complement a portion of the contoured underside.